The Land of Roth
by Aidan Archer
Summary: Tris is the second most wanted fugitive in the Land of Roth, a continent divided into five kingdoms: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. The Land of Roth is almost on the brink of war and a dangerous plague ravages the north. Tris doesn't want to become a hero. But she can be a revolutionary.
1. Chapter 1: The Ball

**Chapter 1: The Ball **

Welcome to the Land of Roth. The land is divided into five kingdoms: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. These five kingdoms lived in harmony and traded with each other and were allies when other countries tried to invade. But right now, the Land of Roth is weakening as a plague ravages the north called exitosus. But slowly, they are coming up with cures for this. And now here is the story:

The ball had the most elite guests in the Land of Roth. The King of Candor wanted to throw a party so he enlisted the help of the King of Amity, who threw the most elaborate and extravagant parties in the entire Land of Roth. (People say something is in the bread or drinks that make the King of Amity's parties so fun.)

The party was set in the King of Candor's finest ballroom in his castle. On the ceiling hung the most beautiful chandeliers, which were made of the finest crystals in the land. The walls were made of fine tan wood and the floor made of flat grey stones. Vases filled with roses and other beautiful flowers were placed on the tables. The tables were covered with a purple cloth, with plates, forks and knives circling the vases. In the north of the room was a stage were the royals of Candor dined and sat.

So far, the party was a big success. The Kings and Queens of the other four kingdoms came, including some princes and princesses. Some of the young princes and princesses mingled with each other and joked around. The King of Candor, William, and his wife, Juliet, looked around the ballroom and saw all their guests happy. The music of the orchestra mixed with the laughter and chattering of the guests.

King William looked in the corner and saw King Eric of Dauntless nodding at him, signaling him that everything was secure. They both knew why King William threw this party. To attract a person. And King William had a plan if anything happened to his family.

He glanced back to his family. His daughter, Princess Christina, was begging her mother to go with the other princesses.

"You could go my little girl," he said to the princess. "You are sixteen and old enough." Queen Juliet gave her husband a mean glare. She eventually broke it, reminding herself this was a night of enjoyment. She told her daughter to go play with the others. "Thank you," William addressed his wife.

"I don't think she should do this," Juliet expressed. "What if she falls in love, but she must marry another? What if Shadow gets her?"

William laughed, "Do not worry my dear. I will protect my daughter at all costs."

Shadow was an elusive man. He was responsible for the string of murders throughout the kingdoms of Candor and Erudite. The royal police think he has others to help him with these killings. But tonight was the night where Shadow and his hellions will be caught.

Prince Louis Bens of Candor rose from his seat. He looked very much like his sister, with his black hair, fair dark skin and acorn brown eyes. He was two years older and would be the King of Candor when the time arrives. Which might be very soon in fact.

Prince Louis held up his glass of wine and tapped it with his fork. The laughter and music ceased. He smiled at the crowd, "Hello people of the Land of Roth! Welcome to our home! I would want to dedicate this song to my wonderful father, King William." He pointed to the orchestra, which started to play a song. The song was like chocolate to the people's ears. The song had the right amount of violin and viola.

The music stopped. A scream echoed. A body with an arrow in his chest fell. Windows shattered and figures swung themselves inside and landed ever so gracefully. The figures took out their swords and battled with the guards.

The guests panicked. Juliet rushed to the side of her son, who was bleeding heavily. He began to speak, but no words came through. Soon, tears streamed down her face and wet the face of Louis. A guard grabbed Juliet's arm and brought her outside and into a carriage.

She screamed "William! Christina! My Louis is dead! Let me find my daughter!" The carriage door closed and the carriage went deep into the forest.

Back in the ballroom, the princes and princesses were cornered by two men. One held two knives, while the other a sword. They cowered in fear and were hopeless. Until, King Eric came and pushed the man with the knives into the wall, knocking him out. Eric got the knives and stabbed the other man in the chest. His body soon fell to the ground. The princes and princesses cheered, but they knew that they have not won yet. Eric grabbed Princess Christina by the arm and ushered the others to follow him. They made their way to an underground room, where there were two tunnels to go into.

Eric spoke, "Exit these two tunnels and at the ends are carriages that will lead you to safety. Do not fear for your fathers and mothers, for they are heavily protected and may have already joined the fight." The crowd of royals entered the tunnels. When Christina was about to enter, Eric grabbed her shoulder. "Your father told me to bring you to my kingdom for the meantime."

She nodded. "I will do for what my father has instructed."

They left the underground room. Christina held a knife that Eric gave to her. Eric had a sword in hand. They climbed up the staircase. They met an unknown figure and Eric was about to fight, until the figure spoke.

"King Eric, it's me, Guardian Four," The figure said. He removed his hood and revealed his face. His blue eyes met with Eric's dull gray ones. The torches aligned on the walls revealed the guardian's olive skin and dark brown hair.

"I am dearly sorry Guardian Four," spoke the King. "Could you guard the princess for me?" They both looked back at the princess, who was gripping her knife.

"Of course Your Majesty." They crept up the stone stairs and opened a wooden door. Eventually, they made it into the carriage hidden in the forests and made their way to the Kingdom of Dauntless.

Inside the ballroom, the battle was still continuing. The clashes and clings of swords and daggers filled the room, making it difficult to hear orders. William was still battling. He had his sword in his hand and was face to face with the one who he was trying to attract, Shadow.

Shadow bowed, "Hello my king." He held a sword in his left hand. He swung it toward the king, but he dodged. The king's sword met with Shadow's, creating an ear-piercing sound that ripped through the already noisy room. Shadow removed his sword.

The king felt blood against his robes. He looked down and saw a sword in his abdomen. White spots grew in his vision and then blackness filled his eyes. His eyelids closed and he lay upon the ground with his fallen soldiers.

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this! I just had this idea in my mind and I needed to jot this down. I will update the other chapters tomorrow and the next day! Have a great day! **


	2. Chapter 2: The Fugitive

**Chapter 2: The Fugitive**

She jumped down from her horse and when her shoes touched the ground, it created a cloud of dust around her ankles. She removed her bag that was slung on her back and sat it by her pet wolf, Angel. She removed the contents of her bag: a wooden bowl, dried meat wrapped in a cloth and her animal skin water pouch, which she made herself.

She poured water into the bowl and once the bowl was halfway full, she sat it down in front of Angel's face. Angel's head was inside the bowl immediately. After half a minute, the contents of the bowl were gone, licked clean. She threw some dried meat at Angel and Angel caught them fast.

She raked her hands through her blonde hair and watched Angel sleep with her sky blue eyes. Angel's gray and white fur could not be seen by the girl, who called herself Tris or the Five Kingdom Bandit.

Tris was the second most wanted person in the Land of Roth. Shadow was number one and she did long to be number one, but she might have had to do what Shadow does in order to reach the top. Tris remembered her first crime. She stole animal skin from a trader in Dauntless. She smiled at the memory, remembering the man's face. It was a mix of anger, confusion and hatred, which were emotions that should not be mixed.

She got up and removed the blanket behind her saddle of her horse. Tris wrapped herself in the warm wool and started to drift asleep, until she heard a sound two miles away. She jumped up and stuffed everything she owned in her bag. The sound of horses running was growing louder now. She woke up Angel and swung herself up to the horse.

Tris moved the reigns and her horse darted deeper into the dark forest.

Her black horse blended in well with the night. She heard Angel's paws hit the leafy ground.

Angel was tired. She always watched Tris when she slept and barely rested. It did not matter for Angel, for she would risk anything for what Tris did to her. Angel growled and ran on, catching up with the horse her owner rode. Angel's ears were just as good as Tris's. She could hear metal armor rub against the skin of horses.

Tris kept telling her horse, Emma, to go faster. The horses she heard earlier were closer now. Possible one hundred feet apart from each other. Tris knew Emma was fast, but she felt like she was slowly losing a battle.

Lights from torches brightened the surroundings around Tris. She glanced back and saw that the royal police of Dauntless. She bit her lip and cursed under her breath. She whipped the reigns one more time and Emma was running like an arrow cutting through the air.

Speaking of arrows, a guard got his bow and arrow ready, pulled back and did it. The arrow whizzed through the air and it missed Tris, by a centimeter. She also got her bow and arrow ready and she was about the man that led the other fifteen or so men. Tris was not nervous. She had fought with more bigger men.

Then suddenly, Emma fell, sending Tris with her. Tris's things were scattered and she hurried to pick up everything. She ran with Angel, until she heard a man yelled, "Wait!"

She did not listen, but it was already late. Two guards held one piece of rope and started to encircle Tris. Tris tried to fight back, but it was useless. Everything she carried was on the dirt floor now.

Tris, the Five Kingdom Bandit, was finally caught by Dauntless police. She thought she could out run them, but she couldn't. Dauntless guards were natural fighters. They were the best in the Land of Roth, possibly in the world. If you wanted to have a war, Dauntless was always spammed with alliance proposals.

A man got off his horse and strode toward Tris. He held a sword in his hand. He wore a brown hood and he removed it when he was just inches away from Tris. Both of their eyes were in a gaze. But both parties broke it.

Tris thought the boy was beautiful.

The boy also thought the same thing about Tris.


	3. Chapter 3: The Secret Princess

**Chapter 3: The Secret Princess**

They brought the wanted fugitive to Dauntless castle. The men tied Emma to the horse stables and Angel was put in a room with her mouth tied up and her legs tied to her side. The men presented Tris, who now wore chains, to King Eric of Dauntless. His smile widened, the tips of his lips almost reaching his temples.

Through his smile, he said, "Hello." He stood up from his throne and walked toward the fugitive. He caressed her face and Tris hated it, but she didn't want to fight back. "Shall I call you Princess Beatrice Prior of Abnegation?"

Tris was paralyzed with fear. She managed to only say a few words. "The princess is dead. She was kidnapped, and then killed."

The king shook his head and kept his terrifying smile, "No, she ran away one night and the Five Kingdom Bandit was famous the next morning. Coincidence? No, no. Maybe you were a little too obvious."

Tris lunged for Eric, but the man she thought was beautiful restrained her. She growled, "What do you want?"

"I need you," King Eric said as he sat back on his throne. "I need your particular type of skill set for a project."

She gave the king a dirty look, "What kind of project?"

"The King of Candor was killed last night. He wanted me to protect his daughter and I need extra protection in the castle," King Eric spoke.

Tris didn't know what to do. She could stay in Dauntless and have her secret hidden within these walls or be returned back to Abnegation and must marry Prince Robert from the Amity Kingdom.

She spoke with confidence building up inside of her, "Fine, I'll help."

Eric smiled again, "Don't get ideas." King Eric stood up from his seat once again and grabbed a necklace from his pocket. The necklace had a blue pentagonal stone in the middle and the chain was made of silver. "Wear this," he demanded.

He placed the necklace around Tris's neck. She felt a surge of power go through her, but after several seconds, the power disappeared. Tris's spine straightened up and she smiled. "I will serve Dauntless and you, Your Majesty." She kneeled down on knee.

The door behind them opened and they all turned around. Princess Christina walked in and she wore a velvety, violet nightgown that touched the floor. It covered her arms and showed no cleavage. Her hair was weaved into an intricate braid. "Sorry Your Majesty," Princess Christina expressed. "But have you heard anything about my parents?"

"I am sorry Princess, I have not," replied the King. "Meet your new guardian, Guardian Six." He pointed to a girl with blonde hair that looked like stringed sunshine. The girl looked directly at Christina and their eyes locked.

Christina was very thankful that her guardian was the same age as her. Guardian Six looked very close to sixteen. She smiled and Guardian Six and Guardian Four followed her. She walked up the staircase with the guardians on her tail. She thanked the guards for protecting her for that very short time.

She closed her wooden door and made her way to her bed. She fell against the comforter and fell instantly asleep.

* * *

Guardian Four and Tris walked down the stairs. The whole tripped down was silent. Tris finally broke the silence, "Why are we named after numbers?"

He responded, but did not looked at Tris's eyes, "The number represents our ranks in the guard system."

"Oh…" she said. "So you're the fourth best guard and I'm the sixth. But how do you know how good I am?"

"King Eric heard about your big fight in Erudite with the two pirates overseas ."

Tris replayed the memory in her head. She smiled. "Good times." She looked right at him. "So….when can I get my chains off?" Guardian Four looked at her forearms.

"I'll show you," he expressed. Four led Tris to the throne room and stood in front of the King once again.

"My…uh….King…Can I get my chains removed?" Tris asked nervously. Eric nodded at another man and the same man walked to Tris. He inserted a key into the hole and turned it left. She soon heard the clatter of metal against the hard pavement beneath her.

She thanked the King, "Thank you Your Majesty."

The King smiled.

Tris and Four left and went into the dormitory wing of the castle. Along the walls were wooden doors with golden brass knobs that shined in the light that the torches gave. The ground was made of cobblestone and the walls made of stone.

Four opened a door and he said, "This will be your room. If you need anything just go to the door on your left." He left Tris alone in the room.

She closed the door and it slammed shut. She worried the noise would have awoken someone, but she pushed the thought away. She was going to escape. She needed to. She surveyed the room.

There was a small, wooden-framed twin bed in the corner. There was a tiny desk with a candle in the center. Tris thought she could set the castle on fire, but everyone would chase her if she did it. She spotted a window.

Tris pushed the window and it popped open. The cold air felt good against her hot, prickly skin. She sat along the edge and was about to jump, but she felt a throbbing pain in her temple. It felt like her brain wanted to explode. She jumped back into the room.

_What was that? What inflicted the pain?_ She thought. She looked at the articles of clothing she wore. She glanced at her neck and looked at the necklace. The necklace was charmed.

She touched the necklace with her fingers. When it came into contact with the stone, it felt like her fingers were on fire. She removed her hands from the necklace.

The necklace was charmed. Every time she wanted to escape or remove the piece of jewelry, she would feel pain. Tris was trapped.


	4. Chapter 4: The Cascading Shadow

**Chapter 4: The Cascading Shadow**

The practice dummy was made of straw and it was held by a wooden pole. On its chest were the words, "Princess Christina." Shadow gripped his sword and slashed the dummy. Its top part slid off and landed on the floor. Straw was scattered around the wooden pole.

He wore a cloak that had a hood, which covered his face. His cloak was made of a rough, black wool. Shadow wore it all the time. He never removed it. The cloak was what made Shadow forget his past.

He walked the dark corridor of his castle. He held a torch in one hand and it helped him find his destination. He opened a door and placed his torch in a holder. When he entered the room, the noise that filled the room turned into silence. All the men looked at him and greeted him with, "Hello, the Future King."

The room's walls were made of Abnegation gray stone. Torches were hung along the dark walls. When Shadow's heels touch the wooden floor, it created a clatter that echoed.

Shadow stood in the center of the room. "James! What is the news?"

A man called James parted from the crowd. He had night black hair and grassy green eyes. He pulled a scroll from his pocket and unraveled it. He cleared his throat and read the words out loud. "The news of the battle at the ball spread throughout the land like wildfire. Royals have taken precautions and Candor is slowly weakening."

"Perfect," Shadow said in a dark tone. "Anything else?"

James looked back at the translucent, acorn-colored scroll and continued, "The Five Kingdom Bandit was caught recently."

"The Bandit was caught?! I could have used her in my army." Shadow sighed unhappily.

James tucked the scroll back in his pocket, "Quite a shame isn't My King?"

"It is really."Shadow contemplated an idea and then said it out loud. "What if we kidnapped the Bandit?"

A gasp escaped from James. "War. If we go through with this idea, we could start a war with Dauntless."

Shadow said his response with a tone that sent chills through everyone's spine. "Perfect." Even though no one could see his face, he smiled.

* * *

The marketplaces of Amity's capital, Amory, was filled with rumors of what happened to the royal family of Candor. Some thought the royals of Candor were dead. Others thought the King of Candor is actually Shadow.

The King of Amity, Jason Cress, could see the marketplace from his window in his palace. We was tired because he had a secret meeting with some people last night. This was just one of his many secrets that could get him executed.

Behind his peaceful facade was a war side of Jason. He yearned for land and wanted more power. Land and power was what the Cress bloodline wanted. They needed it.

The marriage between Princess Beatrice and his son, Prince Robert, was supposed to join Abnegation and Amity, forming one country. But someone kidnapped the Princess and Jason was furious.

Abnegation owned islands southwest of the Land of Roth. Jason discovered that there was diamonds and gold in one of Abnegation's mines. He could finally achieve his dream of making a pure diamond crown, but his dream was interrupted when Princess Beatrice went missing two years before her sixteenth birthday.

He next targeted Candor. He did something to the royals and he succeeded in what he had planned. Jason walked over to his closet and pulled out a black cloak.

* * *

**A/N: So I was wondering, is there too many characters so far? Because I plan on putting more characters in. Also, I will put the next chapter on Friday. Hope you have a splendid day!**

**-PaperAxes**


	5. Chapter 5: The Runaway

**Chapter 5: The Runaway**

This was their second child that went missing for the King and Queen of Abnegation. They had first given birth to Prince Caleb, who later went missing two days after his birth. Then fourteen years after that, Princess Beatrice went missing too.

Queen Nathalie remembered when she walked into her daughter's room. It was a mess. The curtains by the balcony were clawed at. The vases that held flowers around the room were shattered and the bed was left a mess.

The Queen's eyes widened with horror. She screamed for her name, "Beatrice! My little angel! Beatrice, where are you?!" This had awoken King Andrew.

"What is wrong my dear?" he asked, rushing to his wife. "Are you okay?"

Tears streamed down her face. "No! Beatrice is missing!"

Andrew could not believe it. He screamed at the cobblestone wall by him and started kicking it. He swore loudly and the cacophony he made attracted the attention of soldiers and servants.

A guard rushed to the royals' side. When he arrived, the Queen was on the floor sobbing and the King with his hands clenched into a fist. "What is the matter Your Majesties?" the guard asked curiously.

"B-B-Beatrice is gone," the Queen said through the tears and her hand was trembling.

"What did you say My Highness?" the guard thought he didn't hear the sentence right.

Andrew cleared his throat, "The Princess is missing." The King fought the tears that wanted to roll down his cheek. It seemed that his eye was clinging onto the tears. "Send the other guards to find her. NOW!" The last word echoed throughout the corridor.

Tris had somehow made it past the guards in the castle. She walked deeper into the forest and was afraid something or someone might snatch her. Her greatest fear right now was that some guard from the castle would bring her back.

Twigs snapped beneath her feet and she used the crescent moon as light and direction. If a storm were to conjure now, she would throw a fit . She pulled her compass from the bag she carried and studied it very carefully. The dial pointed north, where she wanted to go.

She trudged forward with her blond braid bouncing every so often. She wore a brown cloak with a purple and blue swirly pattern at the edges. She pulled on the hood and her face was fully covered. She could smell the aroma of hay and stanching reek of cow manure. As she walked, the smell grew closer and closer.

She heard the noise of the horse footsteps growing. Fear exploded within her chest and nervousness filled her mind. What to do! She thought. Think. Think.

She climbed the trunk of the closest tree. She grabbed branches and pulled them, leading her closer to the top of the tree. The horses were coming closer than she expected. (Well she kind of expected it because the horses trained in Abnegation were fast.) She sat on a branch and exhaled.

She could hear no more horse footsteps. Tris scanned the area around her and then made her way down, not knowing something was waiting for her there.

"They're gone," she said to herself.

A hand grabbed her ankle and Tris let out a scream. Another clasped hand covered her mouth and she fought back. She jabbed the man in the abdomen and he let out a grunt. She slithered out of his grip and jumped back onto her feet.

Tris ran for her life. She looked back and saw only the man that grabbed her. There were no other men around. But the guard caught up to her.

The guard was frustrated. The amount of money he could get rewarded by returning the Princess. A tornado of thoughts swirled in his mind. He was going to snatch her. His hand was an inch away from her shoulder and the Princess bit him in the hand really hard.

He let out a scream, while Tris laughed. She jumped onto the horse and grabbed the sword and knife out of the guard. She pushed him off the horse, but the guard caught her dress. They fell together.  
"You brat!" he yelled.

They both stood up. She swung her sword at the man's side and the sword stuck itself into him. She pulled it back and she watched the body fall. Blood stained the man's shirt and his dead eyes met hers. She pulled away from the gaze and she removed the belt the man was wearing. She slid the sword and knife into the holder and wrapped the belt around her waist.

She stole the horse and named it Emma.

* * *

The King and Queen of Abnegation waited for days. Then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Winters, springs, summers and autumns passed. There child was gone like their previous one.

They gave up. They wanted Beatrice back, but they just believed she was dead. A tiny little fire of hope burned in the Queen's head. She knew that Beatrice was out there. She wouldn't give up like Caleb.

But what she didn't know was that Caleb was famous for wearing the color black.


	6. Chapter 6: The Angel

**Chapter 6: The Angel**

Tris woke up in the castle of Dauntless at the crack of dawn. The orange ball rose up into the sky and painted an orange glow on the earth. From her window, Tris saw seas of never-ending green hills, some held the crops of farms. Clouds danced like ballerinas across the sky and the fading darkness left light blue remains in the sky.

She stretched and changed into her guardian wear: leather boats, a black shirt and black pants. The necklace was still there on her. She blew the candle and the fire disappeared, as if it was never there in the beginning. She opened the door and it let out a creek that rung in Tris's ears. She tiptoed outside and closed it.

A door opened behind her and she spun around like a top making one turn. Four stood there in his guardian clothes and walked up to here.

"Good morning," Four said. Tris beamed a smile at him and he smiled back

She looked at his dark hair, which she thought was combed perfectly. His piercing blue were beautiful to her. Looking at his eyes is like breathing after a lifetime of holding your breath she thought. His smile made her gooey inside like a caramel center of a chocolate bar. She pushed all these thoughts away.

"Good morning," Tris replied. "Where's breakfast?"

He laughed. "I'll show you." He brought her to the kitchen where there was a table full of guardians eating.

Bread was in the center, along with cheese and a basket of fruit. Tris cut herself a piece of bread and grabbed an apple. She took a piece of cheese and lied it down on her bread. In a few bites, she already finished the bread. She then took her time eating the apple.

Four was staring at her. She noticed, but kept her attention on the juicy goodness that was the apple. She saw that he was also eating an apple and was continuing his staring.

"What?" she asked. She thought he was going to say, "You're beautiful" or "You are like the goddess of beauty."

He said, "You have something in your hair." He touched one strand of hair and plucked out a small piece of apple. He showed her and flicked it away. He moved his chair by Tris and sat by him.

"Thanks," she said disappointed. She studied the apple more and then she found herself at the core off it. She stood up and threw the apple core away. She walked along the halls with Four at her side again.

* * *

Princess Christina woke up from knock at her door. How she yearned to go back to sleep and ignore reality. But she had to face real life somehow. She let out a breathe she didn't even know she was holding. She tucked a misplaced strand of hair behind her ear and then she opened the door.

Guardian Six And Guardian Four were standing there and they both smiled at Christina. "Get ready," Six told her. Christina nodded and shut the door. She threw on what she could find. She wore a plain white dress with a golden insignia of Candor, an uneven scale.

She opened the door and found only Six there. "Where's Guardian Four?" Christina asked Guardian Six.

"He needed to be somewhere else. Come on," Six ushered. They left and made their way into the main hall. "You can call me Tris," she said to Christina.

"Okay, Tris. I was wondering, how old are you?" Christina asked Tris.

"Sixteen." Christina was right, Tris was her age. "Your Majesty, they have new roses in the garden, would you like to see it?" Tris asked the Princess.

"Of course Tris."

* * *

The garden was beautiful to both of them. Roses of red, white and pink were carefully placed, circling a beautiful stone fountain that had an angel spitting water into the pool. Both girls circled around the fountain. Christina was distracted by a rose and she ran toward it, Tris following her.

The angel exploded.


	7. Chapter 7: The Aftermath

**Chapter 7: The Aftermath**

Tris threw herself in front of Christina. Christina screamed when the ear-piercing sound ringed in her sensitive ears. Tris, now as the shield for the Princess, glanced back and watched as the stones pieces hit the ground.

She grabbed Christina's forearm and pulled her onto the stone path leading them to the castle. Both of the girls' hearts were hammering hard. Tris pulled her sword from its sheath and held it in front of her with her shaky hands.

Christina's brow formed sweat and it slowly became a waterfall of perspiration. She could feel Tris's grip loosening, so Christina placed her other free hand on Tris's shoulder.

"We are safe," Tris said, loud enough for Christina to hear. "If these are enemies that have crossed our territory, I will lead you to safety."

"You promise," Christina whispered.

Tris heard the fear inside Christina's voice. "I promise Your Majesty."

But a question popped in Tris's mind. The necklace that she wore would not let her leave the boundaries of the castle. I'll find Angel and Emma and they can leave with Christina. Tris knew that Angel and Emma could defend the Princess. And she was prepared to let go of the two friends she had for the past two years.

Tris and Christina busted into the castle, both expecting chaos. All they say was Four, King Eric and several guards around the King. "What's going on?" Tris asked.

King Eric spoke with his signature spine-chilling smile, "We thought you could use a test to know what you would do in order for the safety of the Princess." He looked at Christina, who was panting and sweating like crazy. "I applaud you for your work and would give it a nine out of ten."

Anger replaced blood in Tris's veins and the anger boiling inside of her could make hard boiled eggs. She bit her lip and she soon tasted blood. "THIS WAS JUST A TEST?!" the words that came from her mouth echoed in the room. The next words she exclaimed are too horrid and inappropriate to be written down.

Tris's boiling anger turned to a slow simmer. King Eric was smart for the test. Tris proved herself to the King of Dauntless. But anger was still inside of her.

"Did you know about this?" Tris asked when she turned to Christina.  
Christina shook her head. The test was a surprise to both of them.

King Eric smiled and clapped loudly. If Tris could, she would have stabbed the King.

* * *

"You should have seen her face," a guard said to a cook later that night. Most of the workers of the King were there, gathered around a table and exchanging stories. Cooks, maids, butlers and more were surrounding the wooden oak table.

"I wished I could see her face when she learned it was a test!" the cook joked at the guard.

Four was sitting by the cook. He was stifling the urge to punch the cook and his colleague. Instead of starting a fight, he stormed out of the kitchen.

Four was mad. He was madder than Tris when she found out that the angel exploding was a test.

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is a short chapter and I am sorry about that! I really am busy and this was all I could get right now.**

**-Paper Axes**

**I am so stoked for the Divergent movie! I'm going with some friends at the premiere! Are you going too?**


	8. Chapter 8: The Fall

**Chapter 8: The Fall **

Tris stood up in her guardian armor and walked out of her room. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was coldly pale. From a distance, Tris could be mistaken by a vampiric creature. The golden brown cloak she wore swayed as she walked through the halls.

When she turned into another torch-lit corridor, Four was against the wall. He wore the same cloak as Tris and his hair looked like a black, messy birds nest. His eyes were immediately connected to Tris's.

"Hello, fellow Guardian," Four's words rang in her ear. "Are you ready?"

Tris lifted her head, "Ready for what?"

"Training," Four answered. "For the next few weeks, you will train to be a Guardian."

Confusion was painted on Tris's face, "Training? Who's going to watch the Princess?"

Four smiled, "Don't worry! Just go with me to the training room in the basement."

The training room was made of stone block walls and dirt floors. There were hay-filled dummies pinned against the wall and torches were hung from the stone walls. Swords were in a corner also with bows and arrows and a display case of throwing knives were there too.

Four brought Tris into this room. "So," Four began. 'What do you think of this fine room?"

Tris laughed, color returning to her skin. "Nice, indeed." She ran her small fingers against the walls. The bumps on the wall felt weird against her skin.

"Now, let's see how you are with the sword," Four said.

Excitement filled Tris, but it vanished when Four pulled two wooden swords from a storage chest. Her mouth turned from a high curve into a straight line. Four threw one at her and Tris caught it with ease.

"Ready?" Four asked. Tris sensed confidence from his tone.

Tris nodded and took a stance, her right foot forward and the other behind it. She gripped the sword's handle with all the muscles in her right arm. She breathed in and breathed out. She clogged every pore that wanted to release sweat.

Four swung the sword toward her and Tris ducked. She plunged the sword into his side and Four let out a grunt that revealed his pain. Four smiled and brought the sword to Tris's knees, but in retaliation to that, she jumped over the sword, pushed Four against a wall and pressed her sword against his neck.

Both of their bodies touched and Tris noticed this. Sweat formed on her brow and her hand was shaky.

Four said, "You win for now Six." He shined a smile at her, one that made Tris's insides melt.

She smiled back, "Call me Tris."

"Fine, Tris."

Tris stepped back and set the wooden swords on an oak table in the corner. She raked her hair with her hands, straightening the tangles formed from the fight. "Now, Four," Her voice caught Four's attention. "Let's see how you do without the weapons."

Tris charged at him and Four was ready to block her. She slid passed him and grabbed his leg, making him fall onto the ground with a thud. He jumped back up and punched her lightly, not wanting to hurt her. The blow was like a tickle to Tris and she pushed his body into the wall.

"That was anticlimactic," She said. "Why did you go easy on me?"

He thought of an answer, "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Are you serious?" Her tone was harsh and it echoed in the room. She bit on her lip so hard that it drew blood. Tris drank the blood on her lip and stormed out of the training room, still furious.

When the sun slipped passed the mountains and hid from the full moon, Tris went to sleep in gray robes. The plain, gray robes reminded her of the clothes she wore in Abnegation before she ran away. The cool blanket covered her from the neck down and she was comfortable in her position.

A hand clasped onto her mouth and it smelled like lemongrass. She screamed, but the hand kept the scream from being heard. The dark figure was wearing a hood and he removed himself from under the bed, still with Tris close to him.

Both of their bodies were close and his other free arm around her arms. He opened the door with his foot and the door creak echoed through the corridor. Both of them walked in the hallway and Tris was waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

She rammed him into the window. The window shattered into a million pieces and the noise pierced the night silence. The intruder and Tris was thrown out of the window and into the dark, night air. She felt like she was falling into a dark chasm. The intruder grabbed onto her wrist and she bit him, drawing blood.

Tris was prepared herself for death as she was falling closer to the ground. She knew if she reached the dirt she would be dead. But when she felt a silk sheet instead, she was surprised. She looked around and saw people working in the castle holding a sheet as a safety net.

The intruder was inches by her and she got off the sheet. King Eric was there, clapping. He had a smile painted on his face and was silently laughing. I hate you. I detest you so badly. She thought that to herself. She wanted to say those to him.

The necklace burned on her collarbone. She yelped. She knew that if she though anything of hurting King Eric the necklace would cause her pain.

"You were great!" King Eric said with a tone that mixed joy and evilness. "Albert, you were great as well." This time Eric was talking to the cloaked man. The man removed his hood.

The man had raven hair and chocolate brown eyes. His thick eyebrows were raised at her and she ignored him.

Tris had to endure whatever they threw at her. She had to prepare herself for any test. And when the time comes, she would kill King Eric in his sleep.

**A/N: Sorry for my long absence! **


	9. Chapter 9: The New Guardians

**Chapter 9: The New Guardians**

Four knew that Angel would have to be a guard dog for Dauntless castle. He persuaded Eric to let Angel stay with Tris, hoping the dog will let Tris know King Eric is on their side.

Four led Angel through the corridors of the castle with a leash fastened by rope and leather. Angel was excited and happy to finally see Tris after a long wait. Four knocked on the door three times and it swung open.

Tris scanned his body and her eye's met Angel's. Tris squealed in delight, "Angel!" Angel pounced on top of Tris and both landed on the floor, Tris laughing. Four smiled at the sight and helped Tris get up. "Thanks for getting Angel."

"No problem," He said.

"She was probably missing me," Tris claimed.

I was also missing you He thought to himself. "Umm," Four murmured.

"What?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

He looked at her eyes, which always calmed him when he was nervous or furious. "Sorry for yesterday at the training room."

Tris looked through her memories of yesterday. She finally pulled out the training room memory from the pile of memories she had."It's fine." She said as she nodded.

Another guard came up to the two. He wore the same armor the regulated guards wore. "Eric wants to speak with you at the throne room," the man said to Tris. "You too." His eyes were on Four this time.

When they arrived at the throne room, there were two men on each sides of Eric. One was a tall, lean blonde kid and the other a muscly man who had dark hair and dark eyes. Eric smiled in delight when the pair walked in with the guard who sent them.

"Hello," Eric said. "Today is a wonderful day. It really is, isn't it?" Eric wore a black cape and silver armor, which clawed together when he stood up. The smile that reached his ears was tattooed to his face.

Tris looked at him closely. He had scars on his face, battle scars. He had so many that Tris lost count. She pushed the thought of his scars away, which cured the uneasiness she felt in her body.

"What do you want Your Majesty?" Four said in a harsh tone. The way he said made Tris think there was a whole side of Four she hasn't seen yet.

"Tris!" Eric said with joy. "This lad," He gestured to the blond boy, "shall be your new partner in guarding Princess Christina. His name is Will."

She nodded at the blond boy. He smiled back at her, but she ignored him.

"And this," King Eric looked at the muscular boy with brown hair. "is you new test."

The boy charged at Tris before Eric got to finish. The boy was slightly taller than her and he weighed more than her. The boy pinned her to the ground like she was nothing. Tris spit in the boy's face and he let go for a second.

Tris wiggled free from his grip, but the boy pulled her to the ground, head first. He landed a punch before her body hit the cement floor. From the edge of her vision, she watched as Four walked out of the room, not looking back at her.

The boy kept hurting her, until she darkness filled her eyes and she was almost dead.

When Tris woke up in the castle's infirmary, her body ached with pain. When she twitched, Tris felt like her body was being stabbed repeatedly with freshly sharpened knives. Her body was covered in bruises like a chocolate cake covered in frosting.

When her vision started to focus and clear, she saw a figure snoring in the corner. The body was in a silk violet night gown and her dark skin looked soft. Tris rubbed her blurry eyes and saw that it was Princess Christina.

"She's been here ever since you've been checked in," a voice said. Tris followed the voice and saw it was Will.

"How many days was I unconscious?" She asked him.

"Three days."

The number was big to Tris. She's been knocked out before in a fight, but it had been only for several hours not days. Angel and Emma would have brought her body to the forest so she wouldn't be caught.

Will continued, "Peter is the guy who beat you up and almost killed you. You're lucky though. There's been students in the training school I went to that were unconscious for a week or two when the faced Peter."

Tris pulled herself up, despite the agony screaming in her body. She felt the cool metal of the necklace Eric had given her. She pulled on it, but it wouldn't budge. The necklace was somehow was bounded to her or permanently stuck with her like a tattoo or a scar. Will noticed Tris playing with it.

"What's special about the necklace?" He asked with curiosity in his voice.

Tris was about to tell him about how it hurts her when she tries to escape or have homicidal thoughts, but she could not speak. It was like her tongue was cut off. She decided to tell him a lie, "My parents gave it to me. They're dead."

Sadness washed over his face and Will said, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. They've always been dead to me."


End file.
